This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 11-238768, filed Aug. 25, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and ultrasonic image measuring apparatus having the function of measuring diagnostically useful information using various ultrasonic images of an M mode, B mode, Doppler mode, etc., and calculating index values from the calculated values.
Known are various medical applications of ultrasounds and their main stream is toward generating a tissue section image (B mode) of the soft tissue of a living body with the use of an ultrasonic pulse echo method and toward the so-called M mode in which a sequential morphological change of the heart and blood vessels, etc., can be observed in detail by arranging the tissue images on one line in parallel array along a time base. In comparison with the X-ray diagnostic apparatus, X-ray computed tomography apparatus (X-ray CT scanner), magnetic resonance imaging apparatus (MRI), nuclear medicine diagnostic apparatus such as the SPECT and PET, such ultrasonic image diagnosis is advantageous in that it is possible to observe, in realtime, the movement of the heart and fetus by a simpler operation of scanning the ultrasonic probe along a body surface or to obtain the spectrum and spatial broadening of the bloodstream by utilizing the Dopper effect. The ultrasonic image diagnosis has further advantages in terms of being much less adverse effect on the living body, allowing repeated use for check-up, and, in view of its being smaller in size, being movable along the bedside, and so on. For this reason, its application is to use in the heart, abdominal area, mammary gland, urological area, obstetric area, etc.
In many such ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, however, an application program for the measurement of a structural dimension such as the distance from the B-mode image, area, volume, etc., and for the measurement of a temporal variation amount from the M mode image is attached as a standard or an optional function. The measurement result and calculation result can be displayed simply as a result as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and also can be edited freely on a worksheet as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and output collectively as a final result report.
In recent times, the measuring function has been specialized for use in the fetus and cardiovascular system, etc., and a vast number of items involved has to be measured. One example is as follows: For the measuring items involved in the obstetrics, there are, for example,
AA: abdominal section area
OFD: fetal crown anterioposterior diameter
ATD: abdominal transverse diameters
LMP: last menstruation onset day
FL: femoral length
HA: fetal crown section area
ALD: abdomen anterioposterior diameter
KID: kidney length
THD: thorax diameter
CRL: fetal crown-rump length
AC: abdomen circumference length
FTA: trunk transverse area
BPD: biparietal diameter
HUM: humerus bone
FT: fetal leg length
SAC: gestational sac diameter
HC: fetal crown circumference length
Further, as the calculating items using these, there are, for example, FEW: estimated fetus body weight (BPD+HC+AC+FL) and EDD: expected delivery date (LMP+280 days).
Further, even regarding the calculating methods of the measuring items, many authors insist on their own individual utility and significance and the selection of any specific calculating method are left to the user. For the EFW (assumed fetus body weight), there are 11 kinds of calculating methods currently available and the number are expected to be more and more increased in the future.
Under these situations, there is a tendency that the number of items to be selected is increased and it is not possible to fully grasp under which measuring items the selected calculation items have to be calculated. At a stage of opening the worksheet or report, therefore, the user often finds some items not filled under the measuring item. In this case, it is necessary to go back to the measuring mode involved and re-try the measurement processing with the not-yet-measured items added. This takes a cumbersome and time-consuming operation. For the measuring items, there is a given appropriate range and, outside this range, it is necessary to doubt a result of measurement. Even in this case, the user often finds it outside that range at a stage of opening the worksheet or report and, in the same way as above, it is necessary to go back to the measuring mode involved and re-try the measurement processing on that measuring item. This also takes a cumbersome and time-consuming operation.
It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and ultrasonic image measuring apparatus which can beforehand prevent such a situation as to shift a current process to a worksheet- or a report sheet-editing operation with some measuring item left unmeasured or some measured item deviated from an appropriate value range.
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an ultrasonic probe; a unit configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave to and from a subject via the ultrasonic probe; a unit configured to generate an ultrasonic image based on signals obtained from the received ultrasonic waves; an input device configured to select a desired measuring items and desired calculating item from a plurality of measuring items and calculating items; a measuring unit configured to perform measurement processing on the selected measuring item with the use of the ultrasonic image and measuring item necessary to calculation processing on the selected calculating item and for performing calculation processing on the calculating item selected from the measured value of the measuring item necessary to the calculation processing on the selected calculation item; and a measurement managing unit configured to specify a measuring item in a not-yet-measured state from the selected measuring item and measuring item necessary to the calculation processing on the selected calculating item and noticing the specified measuring item.
According to the present invention, any measuring item in a not-yet-measured state, including not only the selected measuring item but also the measuring item necessary to calculation processing on the selected calculating item, is specified and so noticed and it is, therefore, possible to beforehand prevent such a situation as to go ahead with a current process with some measuring item left unmeasured.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.